Lois and Clarks
This episode is the fifteenth episode of Season 4 of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. In this episode, which directly follows the episode Meet John Doe, Clark is trapped in a time window. Lois and H.G. Wells must therefore recruit the help of a less experienced Clark from an alternate universe in hopes of stopping Tempus for good. Plot Summary :"What do you think this is, a family television show? Only unhappy endings are allowed, here, Lois." :―Tempus to Lois Lane Clark has just vanished through the time window, and Lois looks outside, only to see John Doe flags and realize Tempus has already begun his reign of Metropolis. She calls Clark's parents and tells them what happened, and then Perry calls her and asks for an interview with John Doe. Tempus is in his suite with former president Garner, and he hires a serial killer named Dragon to act as his assistant. He also makes plans for a non-phone act which makes it illegal not to use the phone, as phones are the primary way he uses his subliminator to brainwash people into liking him. To prove his power, he pushes one of Garner's men out of the window and brainwashes the former president to make him say Tempus "did a very wise thing." Meanwhile, Lois Lane is at the Daily Planet, ready to go see Tempus, only to bump into H.G. Wells in the elevator. She informs him that Tempus has broken out of prison and is now president. Wells notes that he is here because Utopia has become corrupted. When Lois explains what happened with the time window, Wells notes that Clark is not present in time, and it is nearly impossible to retrieve him. If he is not found in the next 48 hours, Superman will cease to exist forever. Lois confronts Tempus in his suite, showing him her anger and noting that others can be immune to his brainwashing since she is. Tempus says the only other immune person is Clark, but Clark is not living any longer. Lois insists that Clark will return and that Tempus cannot plunge the world into darkness forever. At Lois and Clark's house, Wells brings a familiar person. Initially, Clark's parents and Lois believe it is their Clark, only to learn that it is the Superman that Lois created in the Tempus Anyone? episode. Wells notes that even though he is not their Clark, the world does need Superman. He then goes to his time machine, only to be captured by Tempus (who thinks Wells has just arrived). Later, Tempus exits a limo and makes a speech outside the presidential mansion about his non-phone act. He then tries to kill two men who do not own phones, only to be hindered as alt-Superman saves them. Lois and Alt-Clark thus find out that there were more people who were killed for not having phones, leading them to the realization that Tempus's subliminal messages have been coming through the phone system. Lois and Alt-Clark set out to do different things, with Alt-Clark being amazed at how easy it is for Lois and Clark to work together. Tempus, knowing that the alternate Superman is in this universe, changes his headquarters to an abandoned fallout shelter which is lined with lead, and he orders Wells to send Alt-Superman back or be killed. Wells is smug and notes he has made it so that only he can operate the time machine. An angry Tempus grabs him by the collar and notes he is finding a different method of spreading his subliminal messages. Now that Wells is his captive, he cannot give Tempus away or escape in the time machine. Tempus then gives Wells to Dragon for harsh treatment. At Lois and Clark's house, Lois and Alt-Clark share champagne and talk about what they have learned. They nearly share a kiss, and both feel awful about it. When Lois panics, Alt-Clark assures her it will not happen again. At the fallout shelter, Dragon throws knives at Wells to frighten him. Tempus comes back and notes he has figured out how to bypass the phone system and instead send his messages through ordinary electrical wiring via an online receiver he calls "Tempus Think." Into his microphone, he tells Wells to turn on a nearby light switch and say a specific message, which Wells then proceeds to do. Tempus gives an evil laugh and notes he is now unstoppable. At home, Lois dreams about Clark and then finds it difficult to sleep. Alt-Clark is having problems as well, and he starts to use his x-ray vision to spy on Lois, only to feel awful about it. Lois speaks with him, telling him about how her Clark is close to disappearing and how Clark's feelings are meant for his own alternate Lois. He tells her sadly that his Lois disappeared while on assignment in the Congo. Lois decides to get them both a snack, and she flips on a light switch in the kitchen, activating one of Tempus's messages. Alt-Clark follows the wiring in the house, and they learn Tempus's new method of sending messages. Alt-Clark changes into Superman and goes to look for the source. Wells calls Lois, telling her they will meet as soon as his time machine warms up. He knocks out dragon and escapes in his machine, not realizing that Tempus has jumped on it right before it disappears. Tempus grabs Lois and takes her to the fallout shelter. Wells tells Lois that they need to know the exact moment when the time window exploded in order to find Clark, but Lois says she has no idea. Tempus appears to them and say that Alt-Superman is a thorn in his side but can be captured if he is fond of Lois. Lois says Alt-Superman is out looking for Tempus's subliminator. Once that is gone, so will be Tempus's reign of evil. Tempus's response is to get the nation's nuclear launch codes from Garner. If Alt-Superman succeeds, they will send a missile strike to hit every capital on Earth. After all, if the world does not want Tempus, he does not want it, and he will leave everyone to die and find a different Earth to rule, leaving Alt-Superman to be "a hero to a lifeless planet." Alt-Superman finds the subliminator and destroys it, which then makes an alarm in Tempus's microphone go off. Tempus flings it to the floor and announces he is not yet defeated. Tempus gets the suitcase with the launch codes. Lois tries to get Garner to arrest him, but Tempus sneers at her and begins typing on his computer. When Alt-Superman comes back, he learns Lois has been captured, and he goes to the Daily Planet to ask Jimmy Olsen to look up information on fallout shelters. As Tempus types in the launch codes, Lois tries to get him to give up. Tempus notes he would just be returned to prison, and besides, he wants to kill billions of people. He succeeds in entering the codes, and the countdown starts. As Alt-Clark and Jimmy hunt for fallout shelters, a newsman announces that Tempus is sending missiles to targets all around the world. Alt-Superman arrives just in time, destroying the computer and interrupting the countdown. He then grabs Tempus by the collar and says he is hereby impeached. The subliminator effects stop working, and Garner has his men take Tempus and Dragon away. But Dragon makes a deal with Lois, giving her Tempus's broken watch, which had stopped at the exact moment that the time window exploded. Lois and Wells go to find Clark, and they manage to rescue him. Back at the presidential mansion, Alt-Superman explains Tempus's behavior to the media, noting he will be returned to prison, where he can do no more damage. Tempus, out of spite, tells the crowd that Clark Kent is Superman, but the crowd is able to clearly see Lois holding hands with her Clark Kent. Alt-Superman has Garner's men take Tempus away as the man sputters about Clark Kent being Superman and one of them being from another dimension. At Lois and Clark's house, both Clarks shake hands. Lois tells Alt-Clark and Wells she is grateful for their help. Alt-Clark tells Clark that he is the luckiest man alive and that if he had found his own Lois, things would be a lot better for him. Wells then says he might be able to find Alt-Lois after all, and he and Alt-Clark leave. Lois and Clark hug, and Lois says she will never let him go. Clark notes Alt-Clark was right about him being the luckiest man alive. Mistakes and Goofs Trivia *This is the final appearance of Tempus and H.G Wells *This is the final "Lois and Clark" two-part episode. *The Utopian future was never seen in any episodes with Tempus, only mentioned. *It seems likely that when Superman came back, Andrus reappeared and Utopia was restored again, even though it is not mentioned in the episode. Allusions Appearances and References Reference List Category:Season 4 Episode